My lunch break changed my life: I moved to Saumur

There are varying arguments discussing the future of one’s life before death. The Islamics call it Qadar and Buddhists believe in destiny. Pantheists blame the universe, while Christians believe it’s God’s Divine Plan. Others think it’s fate.

Whatever you’ve chosen to believe (and I hope it was a methodical decision), mine was realized. While packing up for my lunch break during a week-long journalism camp at Stanford University, I received an email notification that I was accepted into the Teaching Assistantship Program in France (TAPIF). The deadline to accept/reject was Tuesday. It was Friday. I didn’t even remember applying.

Moments of chaos, doubt, excitement, confusion and timidity encircled the following four days. However, I’d just given up on, what I thought was, my future in France and begun looking for jobs elsewhere. So deep inside, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t dismiss.

Two and a half months later, I’m starting my first day at a school in Saumur, a picturesque town of 25,000 in the Loire Valley. My visa in tote and 40 hours of travel behind me, I look forward to sharing my experiences, hurdles and cultural mishaps with you as I revitalize my old travel blog.

I’m a walking testament to my passion for life and craving for adventure. Not everyone’s dreams include moving to a foreign country or fluency in another language. However, big dreams are dreamt to reach higher goals, and a life without goals (or even worse, without big dreams) is talking-the-talk without walking-the-walk.

Girdle your loins, because this is one crazy walk.